Governor Strickland proposed sweeping reforms to the way deregulated electric companies handle our business today (8/29/07). He called for rule changes to promote more competition among wholesale providers, but also action to spur the state's renewable energy economy.

Most notably, the democratic governor called for the creation of a Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) which mandates that electric utilities produce 25% of the state's power from so-called advanced resources (which includes "clean" coal and nuclear), but with at least 12% of that coming from renewable resources such as wind, solar and geothermal by 2025. All of Strickland's proposals need legislative approval.

If it passes, an AEPS would be welcome news for those working on renewable energy projects, such as Cuyahoga County's offshore wind farm and R&D center. That project promises to invest millions in public funds in the hopes of attracting and spurring a homegrown renewable systems manufacturing. Analysts looking at the county's deal and at the efficacy of AEPS's in other states have said unequivocally that it dramatically improves their ability to attract renewable energy companies (in Pennsylvania, an AEPS is credited with attracting Spanish wind power company Gamesa to open a plant, and in Iowa it's credited with attracting three wind turbine manufacturing facilities: Bergey Wind Power, Wind Turbine Industries and Southwest Wind Power).

How important is an AEPS for Ohio? Nonprofit group Environment Ohio produced a jobs study this week that argues forcing utilities to generate 20 percent of their total production with wind turbines by 2020 would create the equivalent of 3,000 permanent jobs, increase wages paid by a cumulative net total of $3.7 billion and prepare Ohio for global warming.